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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



UNITED STATES HISTORY IN 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



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UNITED STATES HISTORY 



ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



/BY 

/ 

L. L. W. WILSON, Ph.D. 

Author of "Nature Study in Elementary Schools, A Manual 

A Reader: A First Eeader," "History in Elementary 

Schools : A Reader " 



TEACHERS' MANUAL 



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 

1899 

All rights reserved 



22288 



En? 



Copyright, 1898, 
By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. 

":'o COPIES RECEivet. 







Nortooali ^rcsg 

J. S. Cushing & Co. — Berwick & Smith 
Norwood Mass. U.S.A. 



>5 
i 



Before the child is ready to study history, he should 
simply become familiar with its elements, in biographies, 
stories, pictures, and objects. 

MARY SHELDON BARNES. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



SEPTEMBER 
The Indians 



Literature 

Relics and Pliotograplis 

Hiawatha 

Modern Indians 

Indian Children . 

Dramatization of Hiawatha 

Indian Food . 

Exhibition 



PAGE 

1 

2 
2 
3 

6 

8 

10 



OCTOBER 

The Norsemen, Columbus, the Cabots 

Literature H 

Device to represent the Voyage 11 

Landing of Columbus 1- 

Boyhood of Columbus .13 

Geography in the Time of Columbus 13 

LaRabida 1^ 

Ships of Columbus 1-1 

Journal of Columbus .15 

Triumph of Columbus 18 

Columbus Day 18 

Coming of the Norsemen -1 

The Cabots 21 

vii 



Vlll 



CONTENTS 



NOVEMBER 
Thanksgiving 



Literature 
The Pilgrims 
The Voyage . 
Dramatization 
Holland . 
Thanksgiving 



PAGE 

23 
24 
25 

26 
27 

28 



DECEMBER 

Other Settlements 

Literature 30 

Methods 31 

Settlement of Virginia 31 

JANUARY 

Franklin and Electricity 

Literature 35 

Methods for teaching Something about Electricity . . 35 



FEBRUARY 
Lincoln and Washington 

MARCH AND APRIL 



Literature 
Methods 



38 
39 



Revolution, Arbor Day, Some Stories of I^rave 
Sea-Captains 

Literature , ... 40 

Arbor-day Celebration . . . , , • . .41 



CONTENTS IX 

MAY 
Grant, Decoration Day, Bird Day 

PAGE 

Literature 45 

Decoration-day Celebration 47 

Bird-day Celebration • ^"^ 

JUNE 

Flag Day 

Flag-day Celebration .... ..o. 52 



SEPTEMBER 
THE INDIANS 

Aids for the Teacher : 

Story of the American Lidian^ by E. S. Brooks, 
is a medium -priced, popular, but accurate account of 
the origin, development, decline, and destiny of the 
Indians. 

Hiaivatha^ illustrated by Frederic Remington, is 
invaluable because of its spirited, truthful pictures. 

The following stories and poems are suitable in 
whole or in part for reading or telling to the 
children : — 

Last of the Mohicans, Cooper. 

Hiawatha 1 , „ 

^ . , r , ,,r. . . 1 (-Longfellow. 
Burial of the Mmnismk J 

Legend of the Delawares 

An Indian at the Burial Place of His Fathers j- Brj^ant. 

Indian GirPs Lament 

Corn Song 

A Song of Harvest 

Legend of the Red Breast 

Funeral Tree of the Sokakis 

Mondamin, Bayard Taylor. 

B 1 



Whittier. 



2 SEPTEMBER 

The teacher should be well provided with draw- 
ings suitable for blackboard reproduction. 

Indian photographs, implements, etc., may be 
bought from any local dealer. I have found 
S. W. Stillwell, 43 Lincoln Ave., Deadwood, 
S. Dakota, reasonable in price and reliable. 

Too much stress cannot be laid on the necessity for 
creating the Indian atmosphere. Every lesson should 
be illustrated with pictures and objects. These 
should sink into the child's mind. Otherwise the 
lessons are worse than useless ; they are stultifying. 

The foundation of this work for this month is 
Longfellow's Hiaiuatha, Parts of it may be told to 
the children, but much of it may be read to them just 
as it was written. The Peace Pipe^ Hiaivatha's 
Childhood, the account of the Arrow Maker and his 
daughter in Hiaivatha and Mudjekeewis, Hiawatha's 
Fasting, Hiaivatha s Sailing, Hiawatha's Fishing, the 
accounts of the feasting and games in Hiaivatha's 
Wedding, the Blessing of the Cornfields, the account 
of the " medicine men " in Hiawatha's Lamentations, 
the parts showing Indian hospitality in the G-hosts 
and the coming of the white man. White 3Ians 
Foot, are all of them suitable in the original form — 
with more or less discretionary cutting — for read- 
ing to the children. 



THE INDIANS 3 

Reading matter for the children will be found in 
the Reader of this series. It was adapted and 
Avritten for the early grades. 

First Lesson: 

Devote the first talk to giving the children the 
opportunity to relate their experiences and notions 
of Indians. 

Establish these facts : There are to-day Indians 
as civilized as we are. They are not unlike us in 
dress, in person. Like us they go to school, study- 
ing much the same things that we are studying. 
Many of these when their education is completed 
will go as missionaries to their own people in the 
West. Some of the Indians in the West are self- 
supporting, but others are fed and cared for by 
our government. There are, however, some wild 
Indians left who live in wigwams and who are still 
quite savage. 

Why should our government feed and care for 
the Indians? What better things for them could 
and are they doing? These should be the salient 
points of the lesson. 

Show pictures of Indian boys from Carlisle or 
other Indian schools. 

Draw on the blackboard pictures of the Indian 
people and homes. 



4 SEPTEMBER 

Let the children read Indian Houses from the 
Reader. 

Second Lesson: 

Indian chiklren. One of the most interesting 
and valuable methods of teaching history is by 
comparison. Have you a baby at home? What 
is his cradle like? Yes, the Indian cradle was a 
board. But the mother made it soft with a buck- 
skin, or Avith sweet grass. Your mother puts blue 
ribbons on the baby cradle. The Indian mother 
had no silk ribbons. But she loved her baby, too. 
So she plaited grass and reeds. Slie made sweet- 
smelling ribbons from the bark of the linden, and 
with the quills of porcupines she embroidered his 
cradle. But no wonder that she wanted it to be 
beautiful. For the Indian baby lived in his board 
cradle for two years. He only came out of it once 
a day, to roll on the grass or in a blanket. 

How does your mother put the baby to sleep? 

The Indian mother sang to her baby too. This is 

what she sang : — 

" Swinging, swinging, 
Lul-la-by, 
Sleep, little daughter, sleep, 

'Tis your mother watching by. 
Swinging, swinging, she will keep — 
Little daughter, 
Lul-la-by." 



THE INDIANS 5 

"Little daughter" was taught to work from the 
time that she was four or five years old. " Little 
son" did not work. But he learned to swim, to 
ran, to jump, and to wrestle. For he was to be a 
warrior. 

Put on the blackboard and show them pictures 
relating to Indian children. 

In this and all other lessons, oral and written 
reproduction, drawing and color work, by the 
children, are always in order. 

Children may paint the faces of dolls with un- 
glazed china head to represent Indian babies. Out 
of chamois skin, a board, and bit of catgut, they 
may make very effective Indian cradles. Miniature 
Indian wigwams are easily constructed. Let the 
children read from the Reader, The Indians. 

Third Lesson : 

Tell the story of the birth of Hiawatha. Read to 
them Hiaivatha' s Childhood from " By the shining 
Big-Sea-Water" to "Then lagoo the great boaster." 
Be sure that the moon, the rainbow, the owl, the 
beaver, the squirrel, the reindeer, and the rabbit are 
realities to them. In every possible way bring to 
them the sights and sounds and odors and life of a 
forest. 

Let them read from the Reader Hiatvatha^ s Home. 



6 SEPTEMBER 

Fourth Lesson : 

Read to the children the rest of Hiawatha's Child- 
hood. 

Let them read from the Reader Hiawatha's Ques- 
tions and Hiawatha in the Forest. 

Fifth Lesson : 

Let the children read from the Reader How Hia- 
ivatha Killed His First Deer. 

Sixth Lesson : 

Let the children retell Hiawatha s Childhood. Let 
them dramatize it. 

Some children will wish to make the wigwam 
from their own bodies and arms. Others will 
gladly take the parts of Hiawatha or the old 
Nokomis. 

The moon rising slowly from the water, the owls 
hooting in the forest, the beavers building their 
lodges, the squirrels hiding their acorns, the swift 
reindeer, the timid rabbit, the birds who cried '' Do 
not shoot ns," are acceptable parts. Most delightful 
of all — if you dare attempt it — is a banquet at 
which the imagination of the children turns a frugal 
repast into a great feast in honor of '' Strong heart. 
Loon heart," Hiawatha ! 

There is little use in attempting this offhand 



THE INDIANS 7 

dramatization unless the children are full of the 
story and know every detail of the action. Whether 
they'do depends entirely upon what you have put 
into the previous lessons. 

Plan out the play yourself, but let the children 
suggest every detail. Above all, do not allow any 
elocution or actor's art on your part to interfere 
with their spontaneous gestures and action. Your 
work is merely to unify their ideas. 

Impromptu dramatizations such as this are a daily 
occurrence in the Kindergarten. They ought cer- 
tainly to form some part of the primary school work. 

Seventh Lesson : 

Tell the story of the Indian boy's education, par- 
ticularly of his fastings. Read to them Hiawatha's 
Fasting, to the story of Mondamin. Tell them, too, 
the Indian story of the origin of the robin told by 
Whittier. 

Let them read from the Reader part of How the 
G-reat Spirit Sent the Corn. 

Eighth Lesson : 

Read to them the rest of Hiatvatha's Fasting. 
This gives the Indian legend of the origin of the 
corn. It is also excellently told by Bayard Taylor, 
in Mondamin. 



8 SEPTEMBER 

Let them read from the Reader the rest of Hotv 
the G-reat Spirit Sent the Corn. 

Ninth Lesson : 

Indian corn, its characteristic and the method of 
its cultivation by the Indians. Get material and let 
the children have a mimic " corn dance." In the 
bowls might be put pop-corn. 

Read to them part of Whittier's Corn Song. 

Let them read from the Reader First Day of 
School. 

Tenth Lesson : 

Read them parts of the Blessing of the Corn- 
fields. 

Read from the Reader Another September. 

Eleventh Lesson : 

Indian food : Tell of the one daily meal and of 
its preparation. Indian women were the first to 
cook baked beans, hoe cake, ash cake, pone and 
hominy, samp and succotash, and pop-corn, — " corn 
that flowers," they called this last. 

The women were the farmers and a stag-horn was 
their plough. In spite of their primitive tools, and 
in spite of all their other labor, they got a great deal 
from the soil. To them we are indebted not only 



THE INDIANS 9 

for corn, but also for squash, pumpkin, beans, and 
melons. 

Indian money and its manufacture : Clam-shells 
are needed for this. 

Let the children read from the Reader Indian 
Money, 

Twelfth Lesson : 

Read to them Hiawatha's Sailing. 

Miniature birch-bark canoes may be bought ; or, 
better still, the children may make them from birch- 
bark. 

Tell them of dusf-out canoes. 

Let the children read from the Reader Indian 
Boats. 

Thirteenth Lesson : 
Tell or read to them, Hiawatha's Fishing, 

Fourteenth Lesson : 

Tell the story of Hiawatha's wooing and wedding, 
for the sake of the feasting and games as well as the 
story itself. 

This may be dramatized with profit. 

Fifteenth Lesson: 

Tell the story of Hiawatha's invention of Picture 
Writing, 



10 SEPTEMBER 

Let the children read from the reader How the 
Indians Wrote. 

******** 

If the teacher has done good work, if, in conse- 
quence, the children are full and running over with 
Indian life and customs, then a little impromptu 
exhibition, to which the parents may come, will be 
easy to manage, and both a pleasure and a profit to 
the children. 

The blackboards are already nearly filled with the 
illustrations made with colored chalks of the various 
stages in the life of Hiawatha. There are composi- 
tions, many drawings, and much color work from 
the children illustrating this and other phases of 
Indian life. Birch-bark canoes, wigwams, cradles, 
and Indian dolls have been made by them. Vari- 
ous Indian relics and utensils have been loaned 
from time to time by interested friends. Parts of 
Hiawatha have been dramatized. Why not give 
these parts together in a more connected way, and 
let the blackboard, the compositions, drawings, 
manual work, and loan collection tell the rest of 
the story? 



OCTOBER 
THE PERIOD OF DISCOVERY 

THE NORSEMEN, COLUMBUS, AND THE CABOTS 

Aids for the Teacher: 

Any of the many excellent histories of the United 
States will be more than sufficient for the store of 
facts that the teacher must accumulate for the work 
of this month. 

The following poems are suitable in whole or in 
part for reading to the children : — 



• Lonrfellow. 



The Skeleton in Armor 

The Discovery of the North Cape 

The Voyage to Yinland, Lowell. 

Three Scenes in the Life of Columbus, Will Carleton in 

Centennial Rhymes. 
Columbus at the Convent, J. T. Trowbridge. 

The moulding table, with its sand, may be used to 
reproduce the voyage and landing, on a small scale. 
The people and ships may be cut out from paper, 
green sticks will make the forests, and the zinc may 
be called water. 



11 



12 OCTOBER 

The days previous to the 12th of October should 
be devoted to the story of Columbus. After the 
celebratiou of the anniversary of his great discovery 
the time may be devoted to the Cabots and the 
Norsemen. 

There will be, perhaps, ten lessons, before the 
twelfth of the month. These might be divided as 
follows : — 

First Lesson: 

Draw on the blackboard the picture of the land- 
ing of Columbus, or show a copy of it to the 
children. 

Tell them that this is a picture of the first white 
man who came to this continent. Talk with them 
of his dress, his sword, his banner, his companions, 
of the Indians watching behind bushes, and of their 
thoughts and feelings as they watched Columbus 
and his men. 

Let the children read from the Reader the First 
White Man on this Continent. 

Second Lesson: 

The landing of Columbus maj^ be dramatized. 
The royal standard which Columbus carried, and 
the banner of the green cross carried by each of 
two captains, may be quickly made with the com- 



THE NORSEMEN, COLUMBUS, AND THE CABOTS 13 

mon colored chalks, using pointers or blackboard 
rulers for the standards. It is not even necessary 
to go to this trouble. The same imagination which 
will make the children quite as content to take the 
part of the bushes and ships as the part of Colum- 
bus, will also enable them to see the flag of Spain in 
an old umbrella. 

Third Lesson: 

Talk with the children of the boyhood of Colum- 
bus. Tell them of his home, which still may be 
seen in Genoa, of his father and of his occupation, 
of his natural environment. Dilate on the sea. 
Tell them of his school and what he learned there. 

Mm^co Polo's Travels may be bought for a few 
cents, and the children may be interested to hear, 
read and to see the book which Columbus read so 
many times. 

Let the children read from the Reader of the 
Boyhood of Columbus. 

Fourth Lesson: 

Put on the board one of the old maps of Colum- 
bus' time showing the '' Sea of Darkness " filled with 
the monsters that they supposed to inhabit it. 

With a globe make clear to them Columbus' idea 
of the best way to reach Asia. Let them think out 



14 OCTOBER 

why Columbus wished to reach Asia, and why he 
could not at once set sail. Tell them of his varied 
experience in trying to get help from kings and 
queens. 

Let them read from the Reader Geography in 
the Time of Qolumbus and Columbus Gets Ready 
to Sail. 

Fifth and Sixth Lessons : 

The story of La Ribida may be told to the 
children, and afterwards dramatized by them. This 
may be read by them in the Reader. Here also 
may be found an abbreviated version of J. T. Trow- 
bridge's poem on the same subject. 

Seventh Lesson : 

The ships of Columbus and a ship's log are the 
appropriate blackboard drawings. Procure also a 
compass of some sort, and from a steamship com- 
pany get exterior and interior pictures and plans 
of some one of our great liners. Let the children 
compare one of our ships with the best of Columbus'. 
Why are ours so much larger ? What difference is 
there in the cut of the vessel? in the method of 
navigating them? in the accommodations for those 
on board ? Why is there a difference ? Compare 
the three vessels of Columbus each with the other. 



THE NOESEMEX, COLUMBUS, AND THE CABOTS 15 

Let the children read from the Reader a part of 
the Voyage of Columbus. 

Eighth Lessoyi: 

Read to the children Columbus' own account of 
this great voyage. His original journal is lost, but 
large portions of it were quoted in Las Casas' 
Personal Narrative of the First Voyage of Colum- 
bus to America. For the benefit of teachers to 
whom this may not be immediately accessible, the 
following extracts from it have been made : — 

" Whereas, Most Christian, High, Excellent and 
Powerful Princes, King and Queen of Spain and of the 
Islands of the Sea, our Sovereigns, this present year 
1492, . . . determined to send me, Christopher Colum- 
bus, to the . . . countries of India, to see the . . . 
princes, people, and territories, . . . and . . . directed 
that I should . . . proceed ... by a westerly route. 
. . . Hereupon I . . . proceeded to Palos . . . where 
I armed three vessels . . . and ... set sail ... on 
Friday, the third of August. . . . 

'^ Sunday, Sept. 16. Sailed day and night west . . . 
the mornings were most delightfulj wanting nothing 
but the melody of the nightingales. . . . 

" Monday, Sept. 17. Steered west and sailed day and 
night. . . . We saw a great deal of weed which came 
from the west. . . . We were of the opinion that land 
was near. The needles varied to a whole point of the 



16 OCTOBER 

compass ; the seamen were terrified and dismayed. . . . 
At dawn they saw many more weeds . . . and among 
them a live crab . . . which . . . are sure signs of land. 

" Saturday, Sept. 22. Wind ahead. . . . This head 
wind was very necessary to me, for my crew had grown 
much alarmed, dreading that they never should meet in 
these seas with a fair wind to return to Spain. . . . 

'^ Tuesday, Sept. 25. At sunset Martin Alonzo called 
out with great joy from his vessel that he saw land. . . . 
The Admiral [Columbus] says that when he heard him 
declare this, he fell on his knees and returned thanks 
to God, and Martin Alonzo with his crew repeated 
'' Glory to God in the highest," as did the crew of the 
Admiral. 

^^ Wednesday, Sept. 26. ... What they had taken 
for land was nothing but clouds. . . . 

"Wednesday, Oct. 10. ... Here the men lost all 
patience, and complained of the length of the voyage. 

" Thui'sday, Oct. 11. ... The land was first seen by 
a sailor . . . although the Admiral [Columbus] at ten 
o'clock that evening . . . saw a light; . . . calling to 
. . . the groom, . . . he . . . bid . . . him look that 
way, which he did, and saw it. . . . At two o'clock in 
the morning, the land was discovered at two leagues dis- 
tance . . . they found themselves near a small island. 
. . . Presently . . . the Admiral landed in the boat. 
. . . [He] bore the royal standard and the two captains 
each a banner of the Green Cross. . . . Arrived on 
shore they saw trees very green, many streams of water, 



THE NORSEMEN, COLUMBUS, AND THE CABOTS 17 

and clivers sorts of fruits. . . . The Admiral . . . took 
possession ... of that island for the King and Queen. 
. . . Numbers of the people of the island . . . col- 
lected together. ... As I saw that they were very 
friendly ... I presented them with some red caps, and 
strings of beads . . . whercAvith they became wonder- 
fully attached to us. Afterwards they came swimming 
to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, 
javelins. . . . 

^^ Sunday, Oct. IJftli. After having taken a survey of 
these parts, I returned to the ship, and setting sail, 
discovered such a number of islands that I knew not 
which first to visit." 

In reading this to the children I should most 
decidedly say ''I" instead of "the Admiral," and 
"Ave" instead of "they." 

Put the noteworthy dates on the board as you 
read, and at the end ask such questions as these : — 

How long was the voyage? How long was it 
before they really found land after they thought 
they had found it ? Who deserves the most credit, 
Columbus or the sailors Avho sailed the ship ? Why ? 

Ninth Lesson: 

Finish The Voyage of Columbus in the Reader. 
Let the children cU'amatize its various incidents. 
Chairs, especially rocking-chairs, make excellent 
ships. 



18 OCTOBER 

Tenth Lesson: 

The Triumph of Columbus might be the subject 
of this lesson. 

All the boys and most of the girls will be only 
too glad to smear their faces with colored chalks, 
and decorate themselves with bright feathers and 
gold ornaments. These will be the Indians. 

Then may follow some children to represent the 
parrots and other beautiful birds that Columbus 
brought home with him. Columbus on a handsome 
horse will come next, followed by the Spanish 
soldiers in bright armor. This procession will then 
march to the King and Queen, who will be seated 
on the chairs for thrones, and who will graciously 
bid each to rise as he kneels before them. 

Let the children read from the Reader the 
Triumph of ' Columbus. 

******** 

On October 12, the celebration of the anni- 
versary of the discovery of America may be fitly 
opened by the recitation of the beautiful lines from 
Lowell, quoted in the Reader. Since this will be 
the keynote, it is necessary that they should be 
given with spirit and emphasis. Choose for this, 
therefore, some student on whose voice, enthusiasm, 
and intelligence you can rely. 

Then should follow as much of the story of 



THE NORSEMEN, COLUMBUS, AND THE CABOTS 19 

Columbus as they know. Part of it may be given 
in action, part by recitation and reading, e.g. tlie 
poems of Trowbridge and Will Carleton, and part 
by simple narration. 

The teacher must know exactly what is to be 
done, when, and by wdiom. But the work of the 
children should be spontaneous for the most part. 
This w^ill be impossible if the previous lessons have 
been perfunctory. 

******** 

The story of the unhappy last days of Columbus 
may be told to tlie children by the teacher, and one 
day may be read by the children from the Reader, 
and reproduced by them, either orally or dramati- 
cally, the next. 

Let them make booklets of drawing or other con- 
venient or suitable paper about five by six inches. 
By means of a hektograph put on the outside of 
each in large letters, '' Scenes from the Life of 
Columbus," together with his portrait, or some otlier 
suitable design. 

Li the middle of the first page let them write neatly 
the lines from Lowell, or any other suitable quotation. 

In the middle of the top of the next page let them 
print neatly " The Birthplace of Columbus," draw- 
ing it below. 



20 OCTOBER 

Beneath the drawing may be written the words of 
the inscription on the tablet in front : — 

" No home more worthy ! Here under his father's 
roof Christopher Columbus passed his boyhood and 
youth." 

For the next page the title may be " Geography in 
the Time of Columbus." The drawing to illustrate 
this will be of course one of the curious ancient 
maps of his time. 

On the fourth page may be depicted the scene at 
the convent, with an appropriate title. 

The stormy ocean carrying his three little ships, 
the landing, the triumph, and his last days, may be 
the subjects of the succeeding pages. 

It is not intended that the children shall copy 
any of the pictures that have been shown them on 
these subjects. On the contrary, from a full mind, 
to which the pictures have contributed onl}^ a part, 
they will draw representations of the scenes as they 
have imagined them. 

The reason for the name America may be given 
them for silent reading. 

Ask them why America is called America instead 
of Columbia. Then, when none can answer, tell them 
to turn to p. 50 of the Reader and find the answer. 



THE NORSEMEN, COLUMBUS, AND THE CABOTS 21 

The coming of the Norsemen admits of much illus- 
tration. Their ships may be drawn on the board 
and contrasted with the ships of Columbus. If 
possible, show or make illustrations, in color, of the 
Vikings and the Italians. 

Mark on a globe the probable course of Columbus 
and the probable course of the Vikings. Pictures 
of the old stone mill in Newport and of Dighton 
Rock, long supposed to be of Norse origin, may be 
shown, although every one now knows that the mill 
is quite modern and that the writing on the rock is 
Indian. 

Read to them portions of the poems by Long- 
fellow and by Lowell given in the beginning of the 
chapter. 

Let the children read from the Reader the account 
of the Coming of the Norsemen^ and the extracts 
from two of the pages which deal with these expedi- 
tions. 

Two or three lessons may be profitably spent thus. 

In telling the story of the Cabots three things 
should be made clear to the children. The first of 
these is that Columbus' discovery filled the world 
with discoverers. The second is that Cabot, a 
Venetian, had no trouble in securing from the 
King of England money to carry on his explo- 



22 OCTOBER 

rations. And the third thing is that since many 
explorers from many nations were making discov- 
eries and exjDlorations on this continent of ours, 
in the end the land would be claimed by these 
different nations. They should understand the 
English and Spanish claims, and be told that these 
were not the only nations interested in America — 
that the French, too, although much later, sent out 
their explorers. 

There is, of course, danger of going too deeply 
into " explanations," but, on the other hand, founda- 
tions must be laid on which the future narrative is 
to be built. And in no subject with pupils of any 
age should the inevitable relationship of cause and 
effect fail to be noticed. Causal relationship is 
the manna in the educational wilderness. Without 
it even the elect will perish from mental starvation. 



NOVEMBER 
WHY WE HAVE THANKSGIVING 

the pilgrims 

Aids for the Teacher : 

Aii}^ of the many excellent histories of the United 
States will be more than sufficient for the store of 
facts that the teacher must accumulate for the work 
of this month. 

The following stories and jDoems may be read or 
told to the children in whole or in part : — 

Miles Standish, Longfellow. 

The First Thanksgiving, Kate Douglas Wiggin, in In the Story 

Hour. 

First Thanksgiving ) 

-r. . ^ -,- . 1 ^., . \ Margaret J. Preston. 

Price of a Little Pilgrim J 

Thanksgiving Day, Nora Perry, in New Songs and Ballads. 

Thanksgiving 



Maro-aret J. Sangster. 



A Thanksgiving Feast 

The Pumpkin 

Miss Lucinda's Opinion 

The Pumpkin ) 

/ X. . J Jolin G. Whittier. 

For an Autumn Festival ' 

The Landing of the Pilgrims, Felicia Hemans. 



24 NOVEMBER 

The Twenty-second of December, TV. C. Bryant. 

A Boston Thanksgiving, E. E. Hale, in Emilie Foulsson's In 

the ChiWs World. 

Thanksgiving Story, Wiltse's Kindergarten Stories. 

Harvest Song 1 Eleanor Smith, in Songs for Little 

Thanksgiving Hymn J Children. 

Thanksgiving Day Kur n . a 

^ T. , ^, M-i -r-1 A, MValker s Songs and Games. 

Can a Little Child Like Me J 

At Harvest Time, in Lilliput Levee. 



First Lesson: 

The Pilgrims. Through conversation, develop 
the fact that the children go to many different 
churches. Tell them that once there was not this 
freedom, that often the king of the country decided 
to which church all the people should go. Then 
tell them of England. Show them pictures of the 
Cavaliers and Puritans; or, better still, put these on 
the board. Let the children note the very indica- 
tive differences in dress, and tell them that these 
plainly dressed people not only dressed differently 
from the majority of people in England, but that 
they also wished to go to a different church. This 
the king would not let them do. So, much as 
they loved England, they resolved to leave it. 
On account of their wanderings they were called 
Pilgrims. 

Tell them, too, something of the Pilgrims of old 
with their cloaks, hats, and staffs so well adapted 



THE PILGRIMS 25 

to their travels, and of the broom-plant cockle-shell 
(scallop) which some of them wore to indicate where 
they had been. 

Let them read from the Reader the account of the 
Pilginms. 

The second and third and fourth lessons may be 
devoted to the voyage. 

Put on the board a drawing of the Mayfloiver. 
This might have a half border of the New Eiig- 
land Mayflower (the arbutus), with the lines from 
Whittier given in the Reader. 

Show them the picture of the parting at Delfs- 
haven. Let them notice that it seems to be a very 
sad event, and tell them Avhyc Call their attention 
to the time of year, and let them see that, at the 
best, it must have been a stormy and wretched 
passagCc Show them pictures of Elder Brewster, 
Miles Standish, and perhaps the Whites with little 
Faith and Peregrine, whose cradle still exists ; or, 
better still, let the teacher cut tliem out with scissors 
as she talks of each. 

Tell the story of little Oceanus Hopkins. Tell 
them of the final landing on Plymouth Rock, and 
of their prayer of thankfulness. Read to them Mrs. 
Hemans' poem. 

Let them read from the Reader the Landing of 
the Pilgrims. 



26 NOVEMBER 

This story may be reproduced by the children 
orally, by drawings, in writing, by dramatization, 
and in miniature on the sand-table. 

In the dramatization, the parting at Delfshaven 
will be the first scene. Then half of the children 
may embark in an imaginary 3Iayfloiver on an imagi- 
nary ocean. 

In an imaginary cabin they may converse to- 
gether concerning their experiences in the Old 
World and their hopes for the New, Peregrine 
and Oceanus may be rocked and played with, some 
of the discomforts of the voyage may be expressed, 
and finally land may be sighted. They may mount 
chairs to see it through the portholes, and express, 
in various ways, their joy at the prospect of again 
reaching land. 

The half of the children left behind at Delfs- 
haven may now transform themselves into the trees 
and stones of the bleak New England shore. 

Let Miles Standish take the lead in the play as 
he did in reality. 

Much the same method of telling the story at 
the sand-table may be employed here as in the 
case of Columbus. A few pebbles will sufficiently 
indicate the difference in tlie coast. Of these, 
one in particular may be designated Plymouth 
Rock. 



THE PILGRIMS 27 

Fifth Lesson: 

Let the children think what woukl be the first 
things that they woukl do had they landed as the 
Pilgrims did on a strange shore where there Avere 
no people, no houses, no stores. Go somewhat into 
the details of log cabins. 

Remind them again of the time of the year. 

Then let them read from the Reader Plymouth 
Rock. 

Sixth Lesson: 

Most of the reasons that led the Pilgrims to come 
to America have been already taught. Review these, 
and let the children read from the Reader why the 
Pilgrims came to America. 

Two or three lessons may be profitably spent on 
Holland. Mrs. Dodge's Hans Brinker, or the Silver 
Skates will be very helpful for this work. De Amicis' 
Holland has fine illustrations. 

The old story of the Boy at the Dyke may be read 
or told to them. Among other places it may be 
found in Miss Poulsson's In the Child's World. 
Phoebe Gary has put it in verse. 

Let the children read the account of Holland, and 
Edith Thomas's Dutch Child in the Reader. 

Two or three more lessons might be profitably 
spent on the relationship between the Indians and 



28 NOVEMBER 

the Pilgrims. The stories of Massasoit, Samoset, 
and Squanto are always interesting to children, and 
the incident of the snake-skin and arrows one that 
they are particularly fond of representing. 

Let the children read from the Reader Squanto 
and the Price of a Little Pilgrim. Mrs. Preston's 
poem on the same subject may be read to them. 
******** 

Longfellow's Miles Standish is not so well adapted 
to reading to children as Hiaivatlia. Nevertheless, 
after they have heard about him and themselves read 
the account of him in the Reader, the teacher may 
find it desirable to read them parts of the poem. 

The remaining lessons before Thanksgiving Day 
may be simply the reading lessons from the Reader. 

The day before Thanksgiving may be celebrated 
elaborately or simply. Therefore any or all of the 
following suggestions may be of use : — 

Get the children to bring fruits, nuts, vegetables, 
and clothes for distribution later to the poor. 

Decorate the boards appropriately — the wild 
turkey and a half border of corn in colors is most 
effective. 

Pile up their contributions in front of the desk in 
the form of a pyramid. 

Be sure to secure plenty of corn on the stalk and 
at least one pumpkin for this purpose. 



THE PILGRIMS 29 

Let the children recite together one of David's 
thankful psalms and sing a TJianksgiving song, such 
as the one given in Walker's Sonr/s and Games. 

Read to them or tell them E. E. Hale's story of 
the first Thanksgiving. This is not the usual one, 
Avhich they have probably already read from the 
Reader. It may be found, among other places, in 
Emilie Poulsson's In the Child's World. 

The whole story of the Pilgrims ma}^ be played by- 
them, or it may be reviewed by means of a conver- 
sation, laying especial emphasis on their suffering 
from lack of food and shelter, the help of the 
Indians, the prosperous summer, and their thankful- 
ness for its plenty, which assured them a comfortable 
winter. 

For once let them eat their lunches in the school- 
room and in school hours. The children may take 
the part of the Pilgrims and the Indians. Elder 
Brewster should say the grace, and the smallest 
imagination will transform their apples and sand- 
wiches into the ducks, geese, wild turkey, fish, clams, 
deer, and pumpkin pie of the first Thanksgiving. 

And at its conclusion let them sing, dance, run 
races, and play games as did the Indians on that 
first memorable occasion. 



DECEMBER 
OTHER SETTLEMENTS 

Aids for the Teacher : 

Any of the many excellent histories of the United 
States will be more than sufficient for the store of 
facts that the teacher must accumulate for the work 
for this month. Coffin's Old Time, in the Colonies is 
written for children and liked by them. For this 
reason it may be very useful to the teacher. 

The following stories and poems are suitable in 
whole or in part for telling or reading to the chil- 
dren : — 



■ Margaret J. Preston. 



Mystery of Croatan 
Sir Walter's Honor 
Last Meeting of Pocahontas and the 

Great Captain 
Lady Yeardley's Guest 
Twice-told Tales, Hawthorne. 
Peter Stuyvesant's New Year's Call, ^Y. C. Bryant. 

The Avork for December groups itself naturally 
into the following subjects : The Settlement of 
Virginia, including the adventures of Captain John 
Smith; New York and Henry Hudson; Pennsyl- 

30 



OTHER SETTLEMENTS 31 

vania and William Penn ; life in these and the 
other colonies, including particularly their relation- 
ship to the Indians, their industries, and, last of all, 
their very different ways of celebrating Christmas. 

This is all very interesting to the children. 
Therefore one method, and a very excellent one, 
too, would be to let them read from their Reader 
each day without other teaching. The Reader is 
profusely and graphically illustrated, and there is 
really no need for other explanation. 

From time to time and at the end of the month 
the subject may be reviewed in any or all of the 
Avays suggested: viz. by topics orally discussed by 
individual pupils, by compositions, by original illus- 
tration, by little plays, and by an exhibition, which 
shall be a combination of the various methods sug- 
gested, plus a loan collection. 

The incidents of the cloak and of the smoking in 
the account of Raleigh ; the early adventures of 
Captain John Smith, his explorations and advent- 
ures with the Indians ; the story of Pocahontas ; 
William Penn and the Indians, and the Indian wars, 
are especially good for dramatization.^ 

******** 

Captain John Smith's own account of the settle- 
ment of Virginia has been published in Historical 

1 See Reader, pp. 90, 97, 114, 123. 



32 DECEMBER 

Classical Reading^ published bj Effingham, May- 
nard & Co. It is very entertaining, and miglit be 
read aloud in parts with both profit and pleasure 
to the children. 

For those who liave not immediate access to the 
book I make the following extracts : — 

With reference to the first coming he says : — 

" The council contrive the fort. The rest cut down 
trees. . . . Some make gardens, some nets, etc. The 
savages often visited us kindly. ... 

"What toil we had to guard our workman adays, 
watch all night, resist our enemies . . . cut down trees, 
and prepare the ground to plant our corn. . . . There 
remained neither tavern nor place of relief, but the 
common kettle [which furnished] half a pint of wheat 
and as much barley boiled with water for a man a day, 
and this having fried some twenty-six weeks in the ships 
hold contained as many worms as grains. . . . Our 
drink was water, our lodgings castles in the air." 

With reference to his expedition down the river, 
he says that at first the savages 

" scorned him as a famished man ; and would in 
derision offer him a handful of corn . . . for . . . 
swords . . . muskets . . . apparel. ... He ... let fly 
his muskets, whereat they all fled into the woods. So 
marching towards their houses, they might see the great 



OTHER SETTLEMENTS 33 

heaps of corn. . . . Much ado he had to restrain his 
hungry soldiers from taking of it, expecting . . . that the 
savages would assault them, as not long after they did 
with a most hideous noise. . . . Being well armed with 
clubs . . . bows and arrows they charged the English, 
that so . . . received them with their muskets . . . that 
they . . . fled again to the woods, and ere long sent 
... to offer peace. . . . Smith told them, if only six 
of them would come unarmed and load his boat [with 
corn], he would not only be their friend but . . . give 
them beads, copper, and hatchets . . . and then they 
brought him venison, turkies . . . bread and what they 
had; singing and dancing in sign of friendship." 

Of the Starving Time, he writes, that he Avent 
back to England leaving the colonists with seven 
boats, 

^Hhe harvest newly gathered . . . three hundred mus- 
kets . . . shot, powder and match sufficient . . . nets 
for fishing ; tools of all sorts . . . five or six hundred 
swine; as many hens and chickens; some goats and 
some sheep." 

But after he had gone, 

^' as for corn . . . from the savages, we had nothing but 
mortal Avounds, with clubs and arrows ; as for our hogs, 
hens, goats, sheep . . . our commanders, officers and 
savages daily consumed them until all w^as devoured ; 
then swords, arms, ... or anything, we traded with 

D 



34 DECEMBER 

the savages. . . . Within six months after Captain 
Smith's departure, there remained not past sixty men, 
women, and children, most miserable and poor creatures, 
and those were preserved, for the most part, by roots, 
herbs, acorns, walnuts, berries, iis'ow and then a little 
fish. . . . Yea, even the very skins of our horses. . . . 
But God that would not that this country should be 
unplanted [sent ships and men] to preserve us." 



JANUARY 
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND ELECTRICITY 

Aids for the Teacher : 

In addition to the standard United States His- 
tory, one of the many biographies of Franklin will 
be useful. 

By all means procure, if possible, his autobi- 
ography. 

The following poems are suitable, in whole or 
part, for reading to the children : — 

Ballad of Ben Franklin, E. E. Hale in For Fifty Years. 
Printer Boy Tramps, Will Carleton, in Centennial Bhymes. 

A physician's battery, a bar magnet, a bit of silk 
thread, some electrical toys, a piece of wool or fur, 
and hard rubber will be of use in making electricity 
a little more real to them. 

The following method may be pursued : — 

With a physician's battery give the whole school, 

standing in a circle with clasped hands, a slight 

charge of electricity. Get them to describe its 

effects. Tell them its name. Let them give other 

35 



36 JANUARY 

manifestations of electricity. Probably some of 
them will instance lightning. Then tell them that 
it was Benjamin Franklin who discovered that elec- 
tricity and lightning were one and the same thing. 

Let them read from the Reader the story of 
FrafikUn's Kite. 

It would be Avell to show them a few simple 
electrical experiments. Let them rub pieces of 
wool, fur, or silk rapidly over rubber, a comb for 
example, until they obtain an electric spark. Tell 
them to shuffle with their feet across the floor on a 
cold night, promptly touching a piece of metal, as 
the gas fixture, at the end of the performance. 

Suspend the bar magnet (costing but a few cents) 
with a silk thread from the chandelier or any other 
convenient place. No matter how many times it is 
swung out of place, it will in tlie end settle down 
with its positive pole pointing north. 

Now place near this north pole the south pole of 
another bar magnet. Let the children observe that 
each attracts the other. Now present the opposite 
pole. At once the suspended magnet will be 
repelled. 

Let the children silently read the story of the 
Boyhood of Franklin from the Reader. Tell the 
children to illustrate it. Ask them questions 
about it. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND ELECTRICITY 37 

In a similar way take up the story of his arrival 
ill Philadelphia, and of his work as a printer there, 
and of his life in France. 

Franklin's "Rules of Conduct," with their ma- 
chinery of record, always interest the children 
and make them wish to do likewise. It may be 
worth while to encourage them in so doing by 
helping them to prepare the books by drawing the 
form with hektograph ink and printing a number 
of copies. 

If it is possible, — and everything is possible, — 
take the children where they may see dynamos at 
work, where they may hear the click of the tele- 
graph. Let them talk to you through a phone. 
In every way that you can, bring them in touch with 
the wonderful nineteenth-century genii. Then let 
them read in succession the chapters in the Reader 
which deal with the development of electricity since 
the time of Franklin. 



FEBRUARY 
LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON 

Aids for the Teacher : 

In addition to the usual histories, Ida Tarbell's 
Life of Lmcoln will be very useful for the illustra- 
tions. Buy a cheap edition and cut it up remorse- 
lessly. The very best of the pictures may be 
framed. Put them between a sheet of glass and 
pasteboard of the proper size, binding the two to- 
gether witli inch strips of bookbinders' muslin, or the 
passe-partout paper that comes for this purpose. The 
back may be finished easel fashion, or with the light 
wire hooks for hanging that come for this purpose. 

The second best pictures may be mounted like 
photographs on black cardboard. The rest may be 
kept in a box. 

Paul Leicester Ford's The Neiv Washington is a 
recent and interesting biography. 

The following stories and poems are suitable for 
telling or reading in part or whole to the chil- 
dren : — 



LINCOLN AND AYASHINGTON 39 

Abraham Lincoln, A Iloratian Ode, R. H. Stoddard. 

Hand of Lincoln, E. C. Stedman. 

My Captain, Walt AVhitman. 

Abraham Lincoln, Alice Cary. 

Our Good President, Phoebe Cary. 

Tolling, Edna Dean Proctor. 

Read to tliem also portions of Lincoln's Inau- 
gurals and his Gettysburg Address. 

Three Scenes in a Hero's Life, Will Carleton, in Centennial 

Bhymes. 
Greenway Court, IMargaret J. Preston. 
The Virginians, Thackeray. 

There are in the Reader material for twenty 
reading lessons for this month. 

The incidents in the lives of both Lincoln and 
Washington may be dramatized from day to day, 
and followed with a more elaborate celebration on 
the day before the holiday. 

Sufficient suggestions have already been given for 
this and for correlated work in the previous chap- 
ters. 



MARCH AND APRIL 

THE REVOLUTION, ARBOR DAY, SOME 
STORIES OF BRAVE SEA-CAPTAINS 

Aids to the Teacher : 

The usual history will be quite sufficient for the 
facts that the teacher must accumulate for the work 
for this month. 

The following stories and poems are suitable in 
whole or part for telling or reading to the chil- 
dren : — 

Green Mountain Boys, Daniel P. Thompson. 

Ruth Ogden, a Loyal Little Red Coat. 

Lexington, Edith M. Thomas. 

Nineteenth of April, Bryant. 

Bunker Hill > _ ^ . ^^ ^ , „ . , 

[ ^ora Perry, in Her Lover's Friend. 
Boston Boys ) 

Boys' Redoubt, Margaret J. Preston. 

New England's Chevy Chase, E. Yj. Hale, in For Fifty Years. 

Boston Boys ] 

Ride of Jean McNeal j- Will Carleton, in Centennial Bhymes. 

Little Golden Hair J 

Apollo and Daphne i ^. i r i • *i i 

These may be found m any mythology. 
Pan and Apollo ' 

The Miraculous Pitcher, Hawthorne, in Wonder Book. 

Old Piper and the Piper of the Dryad, Frank Stockton. 

40 



SOME STORIES OF BRAVE SEA-CAPTAINS 41 

The Walnut Tree tliat wanted to bear Tulips, Wiltse's Stories 

for the Kindergarten. 

Last Dream of the Old Oak, Andersen. 

Legend of the Poplar, Marah Pratt's Fairyland of Flowers. 

Oak and the Ivy, Eugene Field. 

The Birch Tree, Susan Coolidge. 

The Birch Tree, Edith Thomas, in A New Year''s Masque. 

Dovecote Mill (sugar-making), Phoebe Gary. 

The Birch Tree 

The Oak 

The Beggar }■ Lowell. 

Rhcecus 

The Maple j 

Hiawatha's Canoe, Longfellow. 

Planting of the Apple Tree ) ^ 

° [Bryant, 

lorest Hymn ) 

The Tree, Bjornsen. 

The Tree, Jones Very. 

The Victory of Perry, Alice Gary. 

On pp. 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 20, 26, 31 are suffi- 
cient suggestions for teaching the Revohition. It 
would be unnecessary to apply these devices and 
methods to the stories of the Revolution and of 
our sailors. But a word with reference to Arbor 
Day may be of use. 

The nature-study work for the several days pre- 
ceding Arbor Day should give to the children a 
vivid idea of the dangers that surround the seeds 
and fruits of trees and their seedlings, and of the 
length of time required for their full development. 
Tills is very easily done, if a systematic course of 



42 MARCH AND APRIL 

nature study is pursued. For in the fall fruits were 
studied chiefly from this point of view. And in the 
short spring excursions germinating maples, at least, 
must have been seen, and should have been studied. 
A way of telling these facts, much enjoyed by the 
children, is to take the tree with which they are 
most familiar ; to recall it to their minds in its 
autumn glory ; to trace the different probable fates 
of its acorns, for example ; and to allow one — '' our 
little acorn," the children call it — to escape the 
pigs, the stony ground, the hard frost, and all other 
possible disasters, and in the spring to send down- 
ward its slender pointed white root into the ground, 
and its curved stem above the ground. As the 
teacher questions and listens and talks, the acorn 
should develop under her fingers on the blackboard. 
Above all, she should make the children think out 
the reasons. Why the acorn is round, wdiy its out- 
side coat is thick and shiny, why the root is pointed 
and then branched, why the stem is at first hooked at 
the tip — are all of them interesting questions even to 
the mind of the semi-stultified adult. To the eager 
mind of a healthy child they are actually exciting. 

At least one other lesson should be spent on the 
uses of trees, including, of course, the many com- 
mercial uses, but laying special emphasis on the 
following facts : — 



SOME STORIES OF BRAVE SEA-CAPTAINS 43 

Trees break the force of falling rain. Hence they 
prevent the tearing away of the soil which may be 
observed after a rain-storm wherever some such 
protection has not been given. This has doubtless 
been illustrated many times in the aquarium. If 
tlie water is poured in carelessly, the sand is dis- 
turbed. But if a hand, even, breaks the force of 
the falling water, then no harm is done. 

In the same connection teach the fact that forests 
prevent freshets. 

The influence of trees on the atmosphere is often 
misunderstood even by intelligent people. But it is 
a fact that trees and other plants give out a large 
amount of water vapor and oxygen in the daytime. 
They also absorb carbon dioxide breathed out by 
animals. They therefore purify the air, and even, 
aside from their shade, modify the heat of summer. 

But the commercial value of trees is so great that 
they are continually cut down and sold. In many 
parts of the country, in consequence, the land has 
been denuded of its trees, with disastrous results. 

What can we do to prevent this ? Trees must be 
cut dowm, but trees may be planted in their place. 

And this is just the reason that Arbor Day is 
celebrated in our schools. 

Teach the children to be grateful to the earth, to 
the country, the state, and the town. Teach them 



44 MARCH AND APRIL 

that real gratitude means giving, giving, giving, and 
encourage them, in this instance, to give of their 
knowledge, time, and money in planting good trees 
in favorable situations. 

Do not plant a North Carolina Poplar if any other 
tree can be made to grow in the same place. 

Arbor Day exercises, so far as the literary part is 
concerned, have been sufficiently provided for in the 
Reader. 

Use the board and all the boards for illustrations 
of the life histories of trees. Devote one corner of 
the stage to the tree beautiful, and another to the 
tree useful. Buds and blossoms, real and pictured, 
will serve for the one, and every description of .a 
product, raw and manufactured, for the other. Let 
an immense rubber plant, with all kinds of rubber 
articles, from combs to hose, occupy the centre of 
our stage. Let this be flanked on both sides with 
lumber, tanning and dye barks, nuts, fruits, raw and 
preserved fibres, including cocoanuts, cocoa rope 
and matting, medicines, spices, camphor, coffee, 
cocoa, etc., together with the trees' friends, the 
birds ; and the trees' enemies, some harmful insects, 
including some of the loveliest of our moths and 
butterflies. 

Above all, plant the trees, and plant them prop- 
erly ! 



MAY 
GRANT, DECORATION DAY, AND BIRD DAY 

Aids for the Teacher : 

Mabel Osgood Wright's Citizen Bird will be 
useful in preparing for the proper celebration of 
Bird Day. The magazine " Birds " has at a low 
price many fair color pictures of common birds. 

The following stories and poems are suitable in 
whole or part for telling or reading to the children. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecber Stowe. 

Our Country's Call, Bryant. 

How Old Brown took Harper's Ferry, Bryant. 

Barbara Frietchie i , 

„ . ^ . Whittier. 

Brown of Ossawatomie ' 

Cavalry Sheridan 

Ballad of New Orleans 

The Black Regiment 

Battle of Lookout Mountain 

jVIarcb Along 

Dirge for a Soldier J 

Young Soldier, Alice Cary. 

John Brown, Phoebe Cary. 

Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe. 

45 



George H. Boker. 



46 MAY 

John Burns of Gettysburg, Bret Ilarte. 

Sheridan's Ride, T. Buchanan Keid. 

Gone Forward (Lee), Margaret J. Preston. 

War Songs, 

How the Robin got his Red Breast, Whittier. 

The Unknown Land, Mrs. Gatty's Parables from Nature. 

The Storks, Andersen. 

Birds of Killingworth, Longfellow's Tales of a Wayside Inn. 

Robin's Apology j ^ ^ sherman, in Little Folks^ Lyrics. 

In an Orchard ) 

Out of the Sky j ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ .^^ ^^.^^^^^ ^..^^ 

T»^^^^^^^^ ^. I" isYoun,. 

How^ the Birds first Learn to Snig J 

Birds' Thoughts, Emilie Poulsson, in Li the Child's World. 

Morning Song, Tennyson, in Sea Dreams. 

Coming of Spring 

Brother Robin 

A Song of Spring 

If Ever I See, Lydia Maria Child 

A Bird's Nest 

I Walker's Songs and Games. 
Birdies' Ball i 

All the Birds have come Again, Eleanor Smith, in Songs for 

Little Children. 

If the Bluebirds Bloomed, St. Nicholas Songs. 

Sir Robin ) ^ 

, ^, , T Lucy Larcom. 
Sister and Bluebeard ) 

In a Lilac Bush j _ ,. _, 

, „ , . Celia Thaxter. 

The Robm ' 

Return of the Birds, Bryant. 

Trumpeter Redbreast, from Lillipnt Levee. 

Owl against Robin, Sidney Lanier. 

Winter Robin 1 

Robin Badfellow [t. B. Aldrich. 

Robin J 

Bluebird, Whittier's Child Life. 



■ Lovejoy's Nature in Verse. 



GRANT, DECORATION DAY, AND BIRD DAY 47 

The story of Grant and of the Civil War is the 
literary preparation for the celebration of Decora- 
tion Day. 

Read the accounts in the standard history, the 
stories and poems recommended here, and the Reader. 
Carry out with this new material any or all of the 
devices and methods suggested on pp. 6, 7, 10, 12, 
13, 18, 20, 26, 31. 

Do not fail to make the children see that they have 
many reasons for feeling gratitude to their country ; 
and, above all, make them realize that the best way 
of showing gratitude is by giving freely of their 
thought, their time, and their property. Cheap grati- 
tude, cheap patriotism, are not worth the having. 

Bird Day is less easy to celebrate appropriately 
than Arbor Day, for the birds, alas, are less com- 
monly seen and known than the trees. 

It has been suggested that Audubon's birthday. 
May 4, be set aside in the public schools for the 
purpose of teaching bird economy. 

On the boards might be placed color drawings of 
such of the birds and nests as are familiar to the 
children. Choose especially the insect-eaters, since 
they are the most useful to man of all their tribe. 
" Birds," published by the Doubleday, McClure Co., 
has fair color illustrations of many of the best-known 
birds, and is inexpensive. If possible, get Audubon's 



48 MAY 

Birds. But this is not easy to find even in its 
smaller edition. 

The story of the Scotch weaver and Philadelphia 
" school teacher," Alexander Wilson, who was also a 
great ornithologist, may be interesting to them, too. 

Perhaps the thing that the children most enjoy is 
a medley of representations in which each takes the 
part of various birds. 

At this time of the year, in the Middle States, 
many song birds have come from the South, and 
have been, or are, building their nests. First came 
the robin, the bluebird, the blackbirds, the meadow 
lark. After these the song and other sparrows, 
and then the swallows. The thrushes, the brown 
thrasher, the orioles, and warblers follow later. 

Let some of the children be the robin, while 
others personate the caterpillar, the worm, the 
strawberry, that makes their food. 

The call of the robin is " Quick, quick," while 
their song is '' Cheerily, cheerily, cheer up, cheer 
up ! " Let the children use these sounds at appro- 
priate times, and while building the nests. In each 
of these nests may be seen four eggs. These hatcli 
out into young robins. Children like to be eggs, 
and are happiest when they begin to "hatch." 

The father and mother birds feed the babies, and 
finally teach them to fly. 



GRANT, DECORATION DAY, AND BIRD DAY 49 

The same children, or others, may represent the 

bluebirds. 

The song of the bluebird is ''Dear, dear, think of 
it." The nest is merely a lining for a hole in a tree 
or a bird house. 

The appropriately named croAV blackbirds are the 
most commonly seen of all tlie blackbirds. Their 
northward migration in large flocks is one of the 
early and reliable signs of spring, just as their south- 
ward flocking is one of the first indications of 
autumn. Their song is a crackling, squeaking caw. 
The farmer hates him, but very unjustly. They eat 
a little corn at harvest time, but devour injurious 
insects and larv?e at all times. 
They nest in trees. 

The meadow lark builds its nest on the ground. 
Usually it is concealed by its roof, which is a tuft of 
grass. Its song is very beautiful. It seems to say 
'' Spring o' the Y-e-a-r, spring o' the year:' 

The song sparrow is not unlike the common 
English sparroAV in appearance. But his beautiful 
song will at once distinguish him from his chirping 
cousin. Its song is said to be "Maids, maids, maids, 
hang on your teakettle-ettle-ettle," or better, '' Olit, 
olit, olit, chip, chip, chip, chechar, — che-wiss, wiss. 



wiss I 



! " 



Its nest is built on low ground or bush. 



50 MAY 

The swallows with their forked tails, neckless 
bodies, wide mouths, and swift flight are easily recog- 
nized. The nest of the barn swallow is one of the 
first that children learn to call by name. It is a 
shallow bracket made of mud and straw placed 
against rafters in a barn or on the eaves of houses. 
Its song is a merry laugh, " Tittle-ittle-ittle-ee." 

The swallows live on the insects of the air. For 
this reason their winter home is far to the south. 

The thrushes are cousins to the robin and black- 
bird, and their songs are more beautiful than either. 
The best-known thrush — the wood thrush — sings, 
" Uoli . . . a-e-o-li . . . uoli . . . uoli . . . uol . . . 
aeolee-lee'," with about four seconds between the 
syllables. Both the nest and eggs of this bird 
strongly resemble those of the robin. 

The brown thrasher, often called the brown 
thrush, does not belong to the thrushes at all, but 
to the wrens. Its nest is made from grape vines, 
bark, grasses, and roots and may be found in shrub- 
ber}^ Its song is somewhat like the catbird, but less 
rapid and brilliant. It has been variously inter- 
preted. " Drop it, drop it, — cover it up, cover it 
up, — pull it up, pull it up, pull it up," says Thoreau, 
while a pious shoemaker, known to Wilson Fla gg, 
heard it sing : " Look up, look up ! Glory to God, 
glory to God ! Hallelujah, Amen, Videlicet ! " 



GRANT, DECORATION DAY, AND BIRD DAY 51 

Almost every school has amongst its treasures the 
nest of an oriole. And it is, indeed, a treasure. One 
in my possession is loosely but carefully woven of yarn 
and string and bits of rope. It is suspended like a 
hammock from a forked branch. A threaded needle 
was found and utilized, for every bit of the thread 
is used in the weaving, but the needle hangs outside. 

The call of the male bird is 

" Will you ? Will you really, really, truly ? " 

And the answer of his spouse is 

"Iw-i-lL" 

" Warblers " is a name applied to a large number 
of small, bright-colored, insect-eating birds that 
come from the South in great numbers during May. 
Their songs are various. That of the summer 
yellowbird is perhaps as characteristic as any. It is 
'' sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweeter," 
repeated seven times. 

They migrate at night and are therefore subject 
to many dangers. They are sometimes found dead 
in great numbers, killed by a sudden cold snap, or 
perhaps by flying against some hard hidden object. 

The War with Spain may be illustrated with 
portraits and drawings from the magazines. Speak 
of the skill and bravery of our sailors and soldiers, 
and explain the reason of the war. 



JUNE 
FLAG DAY 

Aids to the Teacher : 

Large representations of the different flags used 
in this country may be made by teachers and pupils 
"from these designs. 

Look at the space to be decorated and determine 
the number and size of the flags required. Cut 
this from pasteboard boxes or have the pasteboard 
already cut. 

Cut out the flags in appropriate colors from 
sheets of engine-finished colored paper and paste 
them neatly on the cardboard with starch or pre- 
pared photographic paste. 

During this month the children will have read 
from the Reader the story of the Star-Spangled 
Banner, and of Betsy Ross. 

With the making of the different early flags 
review the history connected with them. In this 
way the stor}^ of John Smith and other early 
settlers of the Revolutionary War, the War of 

52 



FLAG DAY 53 

1812, and the Civil War will be revived in their 
memories. 

Teach a salute to the flag. Commonly, in schools 
this is used : — 

"We give our heads [pointing to it], our hearts 
[pointing], our hands [extending them], to our 
country. One country, one language, one Flag." 

When Flag Day comes (June 14) in addition to 
the decorations that have been gradually accumu- 
lating during this month, secure as a surprise a 
good-sized flag and as much bunting as possible. 

Let the children salute the flag. 

Have a representation of some of the important 
events in its history. 

Sing together the national songs. 



Specimen Page 

HISTORY READER 



ELEMENTAKY SCHOOLS 



ARRANGED AVITH 



SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HOLIDAYS 



BY 



L. L. W. WILSON, Ph.D. 

Author of "Nature Study ix Elementary Schools. Part I: Manuai 
FOB Teachers. Part II: Reader" 



THE MACxMlLLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 

1899 

All rights resei'ved 



Comments 



From the Journal of Education 

"This excellent History Header is written in a manner that at 
once gets hold of the attention of the child and teaches him much 
history ere he is aware. All history should be made to cluster 
around its central figures and prominent events, and this is beau- 
tifully carried out in this work by taking up some central theme 
each month. Thus September treats of the Indians ; October, of 
Columbus and the early discoveries ; November, of the Pilgrims 
and Thanksgiving ; December, Captain Smith, Pocahontas, and 
William Penn ; January, Benjamin Franklin, Morse, and the great 
electrical inventions ; February, Lincoln and Washington ; March 
and April, the Revolution ; May, Grant and Decoration Day ; 
and June, Flag and Flag Day. 

" The school children who are fortunate enough to secure this 
book and read it will never again call history a dull study. The 
Thanksgiving story of Obed and the Pumpkin in this issue is taken 
from this book." 

"The author has applied the same method to this history of 
the United States as she has used with such great success in her 
Nature Study in Elementary ScJiooh. The Beader is arranged 
with special reference to holidays. It is very fully illustrated with 
about one hundred cuts. The frontispiece and the section devoted 
to Flag Day are illustrated in color. The type is large and plain. 
The apt illustrations, simple language, many easy and beautiful 
selections of verse render this an ideal history for young children. 
The history of the United States becomes in Mrs. Wilson's hands 
just a simple delightful story which will compel the child to asso- 
ciate each happy season of the year with its appropriate events 
in the country's story. A noteworthy feature of this Beader is 
that it includes a sim]3le and succinct account of the War w^ith 
Spain, with portraits of all the chief actors in the campaign." 



Specimen Page 

HISTORY READER 
6 SEPTEMBER 

At last all was ended by a great ball game. 
There were three hundred players en each side. 
That was a game, indeed ! 




,.^%r.-^^,^>^^' 



THE INDIANS 

These Indians were the people who lived 
here before the white man came. 

They had brown skin, black eyes, and straight 
black hair. 

The warriors stained their faces with splashes 
of red, yellow, and bine paint. 

This was to make them look even more fierce 
and terrible than they really V\ ere. 

The Indian wore a whole deer-skin over his 
shoulder for a mantle. 



Specimen Page 



HISTORY READER 
THE INDIAN BOATS 



23 



THE INDIAN BOATS 

Hurry I Hurrv ! we shall miss it. 

There she is, puffing and snorting, and send- 
ing out clouds of 
smoke. 

What a nois} 
monster ! - 

Now we are 
all aboard. 

The great wheel turns. 

The boat shivers. 

The waters splash. 

See that white foamy path that she makes. 

We are off at last. 

But it was a boat of a very different sort 
that sailed the <-^, water when the In- 




dian lived here 




Silent and swift, his 



light canoe floated 
on the water like 
an autumn leaf. 
He made his boat 
"y ^ ^^ with his own hands. 

First he went into the forest and cut some 
branches from the cedar tree. 



68 



Specimen Page 

HISTORY READER 
NOVEMBER 




i '7^^ ■^\J-M- 



THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS 

One hundred people came over in the 
Mayfloiver. 

They hoped to find homes in this land. 

x\mong them was a soldier named Miles 
Standish. 

He and sixteen other men landed first. 

They walked along the shore, looking for 
a place to settle. 

In one spot they found the ground newly 
patted down. 



Specimen Page 



380 



HISTORY READER 
MAY 




■' Their hearts are as stout as their ships," he 

said. 

Our government 
soon sent a large army 
of soldiers to occupy 
Manila, and to kee23 
order there. 

This army was com- 
manded by General 
Merritt. 

Another large fleet 
was sent to blockade Cuba. 

Do you know what 
this means ? 

This fleet was com- 
manded by Admiral 
Sampson. 

Our soldiers, too, 
were getting togethei^ 
at Tampa, in Florida, 
ready to be carried to Cuba 

THE BATTLES NEAE SANTIAGO 

Thousands of men were enlisting every day. 
They were ready to suffer hardships, and per- 
haps death, at the call of their country. 




Specimen Page 



HISTORY READER 
THE WAR WITH SPAIN 



379 



On one of the islands is the large city of 
Manila. 

All the best ropes of the world are made of 
m anil a hemp. 

Many of the houses in Manila are built of 
bamboo, and thatched with palm leaves. 

The city lies on a beautiful bay. 

Here was fought the first battle of our war 
with Spain. 

Early on Sunday morning, the first day of 
May, our war-ships sailed into the bay. 

Their big guns opened fire. 

The Spanish guns answered back. 

In a few hours our 
brave men had beaten 
the Spaniards. 

We had not lost a 
single man. 

Admiral Dewey, 
who commanded our 
fleet, became a great 
hero, like Perry and 
Farragut. 

Do you remember 
the deeds of these great men? 

He was very proud of his men, too. 




specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY 

IN 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

A MANUAL FOB TEACHERS 

BY 

LUCY LANGDON WILLIAMS WILSON, Ph.D. 

Head of the Biological Laboratories in the Philadelphia 

Normal School for Girls, and in Charge of the Nature 

Work in the School of Observation and Practice, 

connected with the normal school 



Neb3 gork 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 
1899 

All rights reserved 



Comments 



New England Journal of Education 

"This is an attractive manual on nature study, full of suggestion, 
abounding in information, instinct with inspiration. Nothing has yet 
appeared along this line that is more complete, varied, judicious, and 
directive than this book — it is peerless." 

Philadelphia Evening Telegraph 

" It is thoroughly adapted to its purpose, being non-technical as far 
as possible, and made easy and interesting to the young mind." 

Review of Reviews 

" The great value of this little book is derived from the fact that 
the course of nature study whicli it outlines has already been tested in 
actual school work. The methods suggested are admirable." 

N. Y. Observer 

" The book should be a great help to those who aim to interest chil- 
dren in natui-e's wonderful workings." 

Education 

" We have seen no book along this line that is more stimulating 
and inspiring. It shows the teacher just how to go to work to get the 
pupils interested and to make them observant. This is a modern sub- 
ject, and it is handled in this volume in a modern and masterly man- 
ner. AVe commend the work to all teachers and parents." 

Science 

"The book has a freshness that springs from the rich experience 
of a teacher who has enlisted heart and brain in the work of intro- 
ducing children to the vast domain of nature. 

" The Reader, which the author has prepared as a companion book, 
is composed of myths, stories, and poems, which are suggested by 
various natural phenomena. 

" The selections are good, and in general the rendition is excellent. 

" For this particular aspect of nature study the book leaves but 
little to be desired. 

"The considerable array of material which these books provide 
from both the scientific and the literary side will make them valuable 
for any teacher in the public schools, while the author's earnestness of 
purpose, strongly manifest throughout the work, will prove to be a 
lasting source of inspiration." 



Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A MANUAL 
64 NATURE STUDY 

Fads : 

The sun is more than a million times larger than the 
earth, and more than ninety-one million miles distant. 

We move around the sun, which sends to us light and 
heat by wave motions. The light and heat do a great 
deal of work for us. Without them it would always be 




Latona and her children, Apollo and Diana. 

bitterly cold and intensely dark. No rain could fall, no 
rivers flow, and neither plants nor animals exist. 

The course of the sun varies. It rises in or near the 
east, sets in or near the west, and in the summer journeys 
higher in the sky than in the winter. Hence in summer 
and at midday the vertical rays reach us, and it is then 
hotter than in the winter, or in the morning or evening 
when, the rays being slanting, the heat and light are less 
intense in a given locality, since they cover a larger area. 



Specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A MANUAL 
6(3 NATURE STUDY 



Yes, that is the Avay that it seems, but really we are 
travelling round the sun. 

Illustrate this by causing a globe with a small portion 
of it covered with black court plaster to revolve around 
a lamp until at last the plaster catches the light. 

Eecall to their minds the similar phenomena familiar 
to them in the telegraph poles, fences, houses, which 
apparently rush by us as we gaze out of the windows of 
a movinsj car. 




Phaethon driving- Apollo's car. 

What does the sun give us ? How does it send us 
light and heat? Illustrate by throwing a pebble in 
water, by shaking the room or desk, by the voice. 
What good does the light do ? heat ? 

To determine the ax^parent course of the sun and the 
consequent daily and seasonal variations in temperature 
mark each week at same hour the distance which the sun 
shines into the room. This may be done by driving a 
tack in the floor. During December the sun will come 
farther and farther into the room until the twenty-second. 



Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A MANUAL 



CHAPTER IX 

MAY AND JUNE 

Easy Poems : 

May, ■) 

c,. p ,f y Loveioy's Nature in Verse. 

Signs of May, / •' ^ 

More Difficult Poems: 

Extract from Lowell's Under the Willows. 
Mf.y, Celia Thaxter. 

PLANTS 

In May and June should be continued the study of the 
trees already described in Chap. VIII. 

The children should also learn to distinguish between 
ferns, mosses, lichens, and toadstools, and something of 
the structure of each. 

The following flowering plants should be studied : Dan- 
delion, daisy, apple, strawberry, buttercup, and clover. 
If it is desired to add to this number, take jack-in-the- 
pulpit, shepherd's purse, chickweed, or sheep's sorrel. 
These are suggested not because of their greater interest, 
but because of the fact that except the first, children will 
find them growing even in city streets. 

The Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). 

Facts : 

The dandelion has a very thick tap root, which, like 
the rest of the plant, is full of milky juice. The leaves 

238 



Specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A MANUAL 
.749 NATURE STUDY 




The Apple: I. Blossoms and leaves. II. Vertical section of the lower, showmg 
pistil' stamens, petals, sepals. III. Flower after the peta s_ h-e fal r. 
IV. Small green apple. V. Section of apple, showing the eye (p.st.l and calyx 
tips), thickened ovary (core), and thickened calyx. VI. ' 
same. 



section of the 



Specimen Page 

iJJATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A MANUAL 
244 NATURE STUDY 

Strawberry. 

Facts : 

This belongs to tlie same family (the Rose) as the 
apple and cherry. Like thein, the petals and numerous 
stamens are inserted on the throat of the calyx, which in 
this case consists of ten lobes (apparently), and is entirely 
free from the very numerous one-ovuled pistils, which 
form a head on a large receptacle. 




Strawberry. 

After the petals and stamens fall, the juices of the 
plant feed the receptacle, which becomes fleshy and, as 
it ripens, usually red in color, bearing all over its surface 
the numerous yellow fruits. These are widely distributed 
by the birds and other animals, who devour the so-called 
berry, but through whose alimentary tract the real fruits 
pass undigested. 

As a matter of fact, however, the strawberry is propa- 
gated by runners, — long, slender stems which root at a 



Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY 



ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

READER 

Jtt^tljs, Stories, ^ocms 



BY 



MRS. LUCY LANGDON WILLIAMS WILSON, Ph.D. 

Author of "Nature Study in Elementary Schools, A Manual 

FOR Teachers " 

Head of the Biological Laboratories in the Philadelphia 

Normal School for Girls, and in Charge of the Nature 

Work in the School of Observation and Practice, 

connected with the Normal School 



N£i3} gork 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 

1899 

All rights reserved 



Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A READER 




^ 



4 






§ 





It is a very busy family, for 
Mollis Avill not let any of his 
children be idle. 

South Wind has to make the 
oranges and bananas grow. 

East AYind has to bring the 
rain and water Mother Earth's 
gardens. 

West Wind plants the seeds of 
the dandelions and the daisies. 
He covers them up with leaves so 
that they will be warm and will 
take root by and by. 

He flies kites and sails boats 
and turns wind-mills. 

I have not said anything about 
North Wind. 



m 



,> i-Vt'^ 



,1 % -^ 










Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY 

IN 

ELEMEXTARY SCHOOLS 

FIRST READER 

BY 

LUCY LAXGDOX WILLIAMS WILSON, Ph.D. 

Of the Philadelphia N'ormal School 

Author of '•Nature Study in Elementary Schools: A Manual," "Xature 

Study in Elementary Schools : A Header,"' " History in 

Elementary Schools: A Manual,'' and "History 

in Elementary Schools: A Ueader" 



Ncin gork 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 
1899 

All rights renewed 



specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS : A FIRST READER 
100 DECEMBER 



SNOWFLAKES 
whenever frightened comfort noticed 



^^M.^.^ 




-irO 



^^'"^ 4^ Who make^ 

^^ th e s n o wflakes ? 

'^'-^ Why, Jack 

Frost, to be 

^^ He changes 
^ water to ice wherever 
he goes. 
When he touches a raindrop 



it freezes into ice. 

Then it falls to the earth. 

We do not call it a raindrop, then. 

We call it hail. 

But sometimes Jack Frost gets hold of the 
clouds before the raindrops are born. 



specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A READER 
AURORA 25 

AURORA 

A LITTLE wind comes and wakens all the 
birds and flowers every morning. 

He rocks the branches of the trees where the 
bhds have their nests. He says, "Wake up, 
little birds, and sing ! Aurora is coming." 

He shakes the flowers, a little rudely even, to 
waken them. Then they lift their heads, and 
send out their sweet breath on the air. 

He comes through your open window and 
tickles your cheek with your curls. He says, 
" Get up, little boy ; the dawn is here ! " 

Perhaps you are a little sleepyhead, and turn 
your back on the wind, going to sleep again. 

But if you wake up with the birds and the 
flowers, you will see the coming of beautiful 
Aurora. 

She is the goddess of the Dawn, and she lives 
in a golden palace near Apollo. 

Every morning she pulls aside the curtains of 
the East with her rosy-tipped fingers, and looks 
out upon the world. 

There she stands in her yellow gown, a torch 
high above her head. She wants to see if the 
road is clear for the sun god. 



specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A READER 

THE BIRDS 



BLUE JAY 




'■ What, is the jay more precious than the lark, 
Because his feathers are more beautiful ? " 

— Shakespeare. 
90 



Specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A READER 
THE CHICKADEE 91 



CHICKADEE 




Then piped a tiny voice hard by, 
Gay and polite, a cheerful cry, 
Chick-a-dee-dee ! sancy note 
Out of sound heart and merry throat 
As if it said, Good day, good sir ! 
Fine afternoon, old passenger! 
Happy to meet you in these places 
Where January brings few faces." 

— Ralph Waldo Emerson. 



specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A READER 
94 WINTER STORIES AND TOEMS 

his flute and as he walked along the road played 
a tune upon it. 

" CVme here, young shephei'd," called Argus. 
" Sit with me under the trees, and give me some 
music/' 









c m^ ^% etc 4 r^r -^4 . J - ^ i 




Mercury sat down and played the sweetest 
lullaby that ever was heard. 

A "lullaby/' you know, is what mother sings 
to put baby's two pretty ej^es to sleep. 



Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS : A FIRST READER 




Over in the meadow. 

Where the clear pools shine, 
Lived a green mother frog 

And her froggies nine. 
'' Croak," said the mother, 
" We croak," said the nine. 
So they croaked and they splashed 

Where the clear pools shine. 



Olive A. Wadsworth. 



175 



specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS : A FIRST READER 
176 MARCH 



THE DANCE OF THE MAPLE KEYS 

maple keys lawn delight 
blanket grove 

Why, what are these ? 

They are a party of happy maple keys. 




See them clancmg with glee on a snowy lawn. 
Tliey are standing on their heads with delight. 
AYhat has made them so happy, do yon say ? 
Just what makes ns happy to-day. 
Spring is coming, coming, coming. 
The sun is taking; off winter's snow blanket. 
He has told the good news to the birds and 
the seeds and the roots. 

And they are all coming in answer to his call. 



Specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS : A FIRST READER 
THE SWALLOW 215 




THE SWALLO\\ 

sowing flax linen 
discovered begged 



A swallow saw a man sowing seeds in the 
ground. 

She went behind him and picked np one of 
the seeds. 

She found that it was flax. 

" Soon this flax will be grain," she said. 

" Then it will be made hito linen thread. 

''Then perhaps it will be made into nets to 
catch us birds." 



specimen Page 



NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS : A FIRST READER 
112 JANUARY 



THE WOODPECKER 



tool chisel hammer woodpecker 

tonf^ue 



grub 




^vr ^'^^^>^iui\\4 



Some birds are carpen- 
ters. 

They make the strono;- 
est homes of all the birds. 
But instead of build- 
ing it, they bore it out. 
They haye only one 
tool. 

This is both a chisel 
and a hammer. 

They carry it always 
with them. 
Look at this carpenter. 
His name is Mr. Wood- 
pecker. 



But where is his chisel ? 
Yes, it is his beak. 
They find a soft place 
in a tree trmik. 




Specimen Page 

NATURE STUDY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS : A FIRST READER 
172 MARCH 

Now you can see what was inside the tough 
brown scales. 

Are you not glad that they were thick ? 

For they have kept the cold from the baby's 
hands. 

The rain could not o^et in either. 




No wonder that the baby's hands are soft and 
jlossy ! 
Do you see the horseshoes on the branch ? 
How many nails do you count ? 
Last year the leaves were here. 
Each little leaflet left a nail mark. 
Do you see the rings below ? 



i^'tQ 



•^^J,^ 



<l9tl 



